Civil Society Delegation to Washington

UNCLAS NAIROBI 002522 SIPDIS DEPT FOR AF/E DRIANO AND AF A/S CARSON E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM KE SUBJECT: Civil Society Delegation to Washington ¶1. This is an Action request, see para 4. ¶2. We remain actively engaged with civil society, business groups, women's associations, religious leaders, and youth as part of our continuing efforts to advance the process of reform in Kenya. On November 17 we sponsored a highly successful national youth forum that gathered activist youth from all regions of Kenya who are eager to push the process of reform. Out of the national youth forum several individuals emerged as leaders capable of helping to move the nation forward on the path to reform. ¶3. We propose to send in mid-January a nine person delegation of key civil society leaders to Washington. This visit is an important element in our strategy to push for implementation of the reform agenda. We strongly feel that sending this delegation with appropriate high level attention will help galvanize Kenyan domestic-driven pressure for reform, which is crucially needed. We have identified funding for such a delegation, and we have devised a notional schedule for a Washington program. ¶4. Post seeks Department concurrence with the proposed delegation (para 5) and notional schedule (para 6). Our proposed delegation includes youth leaders, and other civil leaders who are deeply engaged in moving Kenya beyond the ethnic-based and corrupt practices of the past. The notional schedule proposed represents just that -- Post recommendations that the delegation meet with the highest levels of Washington, including with the Secretary and possibly even POTUS, in order to underscore the urgency of reform in Kenya, highlight the importance we place on governance and democracy in Kenya, and to demonstrate our support for those advocating for a better future for the people of Kenya. ¶5. Proposed Delegation: Hassan Ole Naado ( M, Youth, Masai, Muslim): Kenya Muslim Youth Alliance (KMYA); Ole Naado is the CEO of KMYA, Chief Editor of the New Dawn publication and Deputy Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Kenyan Muslims (SUPKEM). Ole Naado is active in promoting inter-faith dialogue and encouraging Muslim participation in democratic and nation-building processes, and was a leadership force behind the National Youth Forum. Caroline Ruto (F, Youth, Kalenjin, Christian): Ruto is a programme officer with Citizens Assembly and a young activist who has led peace and reconciliation efforts in Rift Valley. She has been instrumental in initiating youth reform assemblies across the country to engage with local authorities on conflict resolution and civic education. She was a delegate to the national constitutional conference in 2001 and in 2009 she has organized delegations of over 2000 youth to present views to the Constitutional Review Commission. She was a key member of the steering committee for the November 2009 National Youth Forum. Susan Kariuki (F, Youth, Kikuyu, Christian): Youth Agenda; Kariuki is the Deputy Executive Director/Program Coordinator of Youth Agenda. Youth Agenda was the technical coordinator of the November National Youth Forum. Kariuki recently pioneered the Kenya University Youth Project, which is coordinating university students to lead reform in Kenya. Joshua Nyamori (M, Youth, Luo, Christian): Nyanza Youth Coalition (NYC); Nyamori is the Coordinator of NYC, a network of 169 organizations led by youth and working on youth issues in Nyanza province. NYC mobilizes youth for participation in the economic, social and political development of the province. NYC was a very active member of the steering committee that coordinated the November National Youth Forum. Wangui Mbatia (F, Youth, Kikuyu, Christian): Kenya Network of Grassroots Organizations (KENGO); Mbatia is the Executive Director of KENGO. KENGO is a network of grassroots organizations that address poor governance, corruption and poverty using a bottom-up and rights based approach. Mbatia is currently coordinating a grassroots network of over 2,000 groups representing women, youth, and self-help and welfare groups in Kenya. Patricia Nyaundi (F, Non-Youth, Kisii, Christian): is an advocate of the High Court and the Executive Director of FIDA-K Kenya Chapter (FIDA-K); Nyaundi has been instrumental in investigating sexual offences committed during the post-election violence, and she was a member of the police Task force undertaking the investigations. Currently, she is very active in mobilizing and sensitizing women on the draft constitution. Ann Njogu (F, Non-Youth, Kikuyu, Christian): Njogu is an advocate of the High Court and a founder of the Center for Rights Education Awareness. She is an activist spearheading the fight against injustice and she has been at the forefront of campaigns to combat corruption, gender equality and constitutional reforms. She was the co-convener of national civil society congress in 2008 that was instrumental in averting total political collapse following the December 2007 elections. She is the co-chair of the Multi-sectoral Committee and Joint Dialogue Forum on Constitutional Reforms. Her activities have caused her to be battered and harassed by state security. Harun Ndubi (M, Non-Youth, Kisii, Christian): Haki Focus; Ndubi recently founded Haki Focus, an NGO that advocates for human rights and good governance. He is very active lawyer/litigator handling cases concerning human rights, governance and constitutional law. He is a seasoned democracy and human rights activist and the former Executive Director of the Kituo Cha Sheria Center, which provides legal aid. He was a founder of Kenya Peace for Truth and Justice, which was instrumental in helping to end the violence in early ¶2008. He is very engaged on the issue of the constitution and the reform agenda. Benson Maisori (M, Youth, Kuria, Christian): Maisori is a youth activist currently attached to Kenya National Commission on Human Rights engaged in human rights education and capacity building for grassroots organizations. He is a founder of Kuria Youth Forum for democracy that engages youth to demand for transparency and accountability, and he is a co-founder of Citizens against Violence, a former student leader of Kuria University Students Association and Kuria Student Volunteers. Chris Kinyanjui (M, Youth, Kikuyu, Christian): National Council of Churches Kenya (NCCK); Kiyanjui is an Advocate of the High Court who has helped draft key legislation for Parliament. He currently serves as Program Officer for Governance and Social Services at the National Council of Churches of Kenya. He has worked with USAID on a number of reform efforts, including dissemination of the Waki report work and the book "It's Our Turn to Eat." ¶6. Notional Itinerary: Sunday, January 10: Late Afternoon Arrive Dulles Proceed to Hotel Monday, January 11: 0900 AF/E 1000 Call on A/S Carson and AF/FO (including representatives from other Bureaus as appropriate) 1100 Meeting with the Secretary 1200 Wilson Center Roundtable 1500 NED /NDI/IRI Dinner TBD Tuesday, January 12: 0900 NSC meeting and possible photo opportunity with POTUS 1100 USAID/DCHA 1230 Lunch with HDAC/Staffers and/or Members 1400 Call on Payne/Senate SFRC 1600 Foreign Press Center Dinner TBD Wednesday, January 13: 0830 Breakfast Briefing at USIP 1100 CSIS Meeting/Roundtable 1300 Lunch/Outbrief with AF/E 1430 Depart for Dulles RANNEBERGER RANNEBERGER